Shondor Birns

Shondor Birns was a notorious Jewish-American mobster and racketeer from Cleveland, Ohio, who was once labeled as the city's "Public enemy No. 1" by the local newspapers. He was actively involved in a wide variety of racketeering and other organized crime-related activities such as prostitution, theft, numbers, etc., from the days of Prohibition until his demise. He was regarded as a celebrity gangster with a reputation as a brutal, ruthless enforcer. Those who refused to pay would usually find their store windows broken or their cars blown up. In March 1975, Holy Saturday, the eve of Easter, Birns was blown up via a bomb containing C-4, a potent military explosive, in the lot behind Christy's Lounge, the former Jack & Jill West Lounge, a go-go spot at 2516 Detroit Ave.